Reinforcement kit for protecting pallet rack frame

ABSTRACT

An integral pallet rack post reinforcement kit for protecting the lower pallet rack frame from forklifts, etc. which takes the place of the lower six to twelve inches of the front frame post and fastened in its place. The kit is, for example, square tube welded to a three-sided outer clamp which bears a front angle deflector. These components are welded to a four inch by twelve inch by three-eighths inch footplate with two three-quarter inch by five inch by half inch wedge bolt anchors for attachment to the warehouse floor. Accordingly, this footplate replaces the original footplate. By using the reinforcement kit with the angle deflector, frontal impacts are deflected off to one side. The front post of the original pallet rack the present reinforcement kit would, over time, fail from cyclical or repeated impacts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to pallet racks. More particularly,the present invention relates to pallet rack reinforcement kits forprotecting the lower pallet rack front legs.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The use of pallet racks is common in warehouses a warehousestores. They are designed to receive product bearing pallets from a forklift truck. The normal use of fork lift trucks around the pallet rackcommonly results in damage to the lower front legs due to collisionswith forklift forks, tires, and outriggers. Storage of pallets ofmaterials in floor locations also results in damage to the lower frontlegs. It would be desirable to provide an easily installable, heavy dutyreinforcement kit which may be installed in the factory or in-place suchas in a warehouse to protect the lower legs of an industrial pallet rackframe from damage from placing pallets of materials in floor locationson either side of the frame and to protect the lower section of thefront post from damage by forklift forks, tires, and outriggers.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,537 B1, issued Oct. 9, 2001, to Dion,describes a pallet rack repair kit for replacing the damaged lower frontpost.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,122, issued Dec. 16, 1980, to Klein,describes a reinforced pallet rack for resisting forklift impact,bending, and deflection from fork lifts.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,110, issued Sep. 12, 1978, to Mittag,describes a pallet rack and post protector assembly.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,925, issued Dec. 6, 1994, describes palletrack lower post protectors supported on the floor and partiallysurrounding each post from damage by fork lifts.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,549 B1, issued to the present applicant onDec. 25, 2001, describes a repair kit for a damaged pallet rack framehaving front and intermediate uprights and upper and lower cross membersfor attachment to an undamaged rear post.

[0010] Canadian Patent No. 2,280,645, published Feb. 25, 2001, to Dion,describes a reinforcement unit for a pair of pallet rack lower posts.

[0011] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularlyor in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.Thus, a reinforcement kit for protecting pallet rack frame solving theaforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention is an integral pallet rack postreinforcement kit for protecting the lower pallet rack frame fromforklifts, etc. The reinforcement is done by removing the six to twelveinches of the front frame post and fastening the heavy gaugereinforcement kit in its place. The reinforcement kit is, for example,three inch by three inch by a quarter inch square tube welded to aquarter inch, three-sided outer clamp which in turn is welded to a twoinch by two inch by quarter inch front angle deflector. These componentsare welded to a four inch by twelve inch by three-eighths inch footplateor anchor base with two three-quarter inch by five inch by half inchwedge bolt anchors for attachment to the warehouse floor. Accordingly,this footplate replaces the original footplate. By using thereinforcement kit with the angle deflector, frontal impacts aredeflected off to one side. The front post of the original pallet rackwithout the reinforcement features of the present kit would, over time,fail from cyclical or repeated impacts.

[0013] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to providea heavy duty pallet rack lower post reinforcement kit.

[0014] It is another object of the invention to provide a pallet rackpost reinforcement kit which may be installed at the rack factory orin-place in a warehouse.

[0015] It is a further object of the invention to provide a postreinforcement kit as above which is simple in design and installation.

[0016] Still another object of the invention is to provide a postreinforcement kit as above which may replace the lower portion of adamaged post in-place.

[0017] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements andarrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive,dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

[0018] These and other objects of the present invention will becomereadily apparent upon further review of the following specification anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019]FIG. 1 is an environmental, front perspective view of areinforcement kit for protecting pallet rack frame according to thepresent invention.

[0020]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the kit of FIG. 1 having boltattachment bores.

[0021]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the kit of FIG. 1.

[0022]FIG. 4 is an environmental rear perspective view of the kit ofFIG. 1 as welded in place.

[0023]FIG. 5 is an environmental front perspective view of kit of FIG. 2as bolted in place.

[0024] Similar reference characters denote corresponding featuresconsistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present invention is an integral pallet rack postreinforcement kit for protecting the lower pallet rack frame fromforklifts, etc. The reinforcement is done by removing from six to twelveinches of the front frame upright post to form a truncated upright postand fastening the reinforcement kit in its place.

[0026] Referring to the Figures, the inventive integral reinforcementkit is generally referred to as 10. Reinforcement kit 10 includes a“U”-shaped upright clamp 12 for clamping to post upright U of palletrack P, the upright clamp 12 having an upper end 14 and a lower end 16resting on a rectangular base or anchor 18. The rectangular anchor base18 has a front end portion 20 supporting upright clamp 12 and a rear endportion 22 and defining one or more floor engagement bores to receivefloor anchor bolts.

[0027] Leg support upright tube 28 has an upper end 30 having a postsupport cap 32, defining a clamp upper portion 33 extending to upper end14, and a lower end 34, defining a clamp lower portion 35 extending toanchor base 18, resting on the front portion 20 of rectangular anchorbase 18 and placed and sized to partially fit within the clamp lowerportion 35. The shortened end of pallet rack post upright U rests on thepost support cap 32, thus bearing the weight of the loaded pallet rackP. The “U”-shaped upright clamp 12 has side walls 40 and a front wall 42to which a front deflector 36 (preferably in the form of a right anglesteel segment) extends along its substantial length, having a deflectorcap 37 covering its upper end and extending downward around the base oranchor front end 20 to the floor. The front deflector 36 is attached tothe front wall 42 of upright clamp 12 along vertical attachment edges 38near the respective edges of upright clamp front wall 42 and extendsoutward from the front wall 42, forming two equal sides, to an apexformed by a vertical corner edge spaced apart from and midway betweenattachment edges 38, bisecting front wall 42 so as to deflect anapproaching forklift tine to one side to protect the post structure.

[0028] The lower truncated end portion of post upright U is fittedwithin and partially surrounded by the upper portion of upright clamp 12to which it may be welded as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 at weld lines 44 orattached by providing bores 46 in upright clamp side walls which receiveleg support bolts through aligned bores in post upright U. Such boresare commonly provided in pallet rack posts or uprights U at spacedintervals. Leg support front wall 52 is flush to the inside of uprightclamp front wall 42 and leg support side walls extend back substantiallybeyond the attached upright clamp side walls 40 to end at leg supportrear wall 50.

[0029] In operation, about 6 to 12 inches of the existing post uprightof the pallet rack is removed from the lower end thereof to form thetruncated post upright. The inventive integral reinforcement kit, madeof a substantially heavier gauge of steel than the existing post uprightand pallet rack frame is then placed over the front and sides of theremaining pallet rack post or upright such that “U”-shaped upright clamp12 extends over and partially around the remaining lower portion ofpallet rack post upright U and leg support cap 32, and leg supportsquare upright 28 bears the weight supported by the end of the palletrack post upright U. The assembly is then welded or bolted together toform a reinforced structure as describe above. The rectangular anchorbase is then bolted to the warehouse floor.

[0030] The reinforcement kit is, for example, three inch by three inchby a quarter inch square tube welded to a quarter inch, three-sidedouter clamp which in turn is welded to a two inch by two inch by quarterinch front angle deflector. These components are welded to a four inchby twelve inch by three-eighths inch footplate with two three-quarterinch by five inch by half inch wedge bolt anchors for attachment to thewarehouse floor. Accordingly, this footplate replaces the originalfootplate. By using the reinforcement kit with the angle deflector,frontal impacts are deflected off to one side. The front post of theoriginal pallet rack without the reinforcement features of the presentkit would, over time, fail from cyclical or repeated impacts. Theintegral reinforcement kit of the present invention is made of anyappropriate material, and preferably steel.

[0031] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limitedto the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and allembodiments within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:
 1. An integral reinforcement kit for protecting pallet rackframe comprising: an upright, vertically oriented clamp having an upperportion and a lower portion: a rectangular anchor base having a frontportion a front end and a rear portion; said clamp being supported byand extending vertically from said anchor base front portion; and a legsupport upright supported upon said front portion of said anchor baseand extending upward within clamp lower portion; said integralreinforcement kit being made of a substantially heavier gauge of metalthan said pallet rack frame; whereby said leg support upright supports atruncated lower upright leg of a pallet rack; and whereby said upperportion of said clamp engages said pallet rack so as to clamp saidreinforcement kit to said truncated lower pallet rack upright leg. 2.The reinforcement kit of claim 1, wherein said leg support has a legsupport cap located at the upper end thereof.
 3. The reinforcement kitof claim 2, wherein said clamp is “U”-shaped in cross section having afront wall and opposing side walls.
 4. The reinforcement kit of claim 3,wherein said front wall of said clamp faces forward relative to said kitand extends upward from a point near said front end of said anchor base,said opposing side walls extending rearwardly therefrom.
 5. Thereinforcement kit of claim 4, wherein said leg support upright extendsrearwardly beyond said lower clamp portion.
 6. The reinforcement kit ofclaim 5, wherein said leg support is generally square in cross section.7. The reinforcement kit of claim 6, wherein said pallet rack upright iswelded in place relative to said lower portion of said clamp and saidanchor base.
 8. The reinforcement kit of claim 7, further comprising avertically oriented front deflector extending the substantial length ofsaid clamp and located on said front wall thereof.
 9. The reinforcementkit of claim 8, wherein said front deflector is an angle segment havingtwo equal sides extending forward from said clamp front wall and meetingat an apex spaced forward of and generally bisecting said clamp.
 10. Thereinforcement kit of claim 9, wherein said deflector is a right anglesegment having a cap extending to said clamp front wall.
 11. Thereinforcement kit of claim 5, wherein said rear portion of said anchorbase defines at least one anchor bolt bore for receiving a respectivefloor anchor bolt.
 12. The reinforcement kit of claim 5, wherein theremaining portion of the pallet rack truncated upright leg is generallycoextensive with said leg support cap, said upper portion of said clamppartially encasing said remaining portion, and said remaining portion iswelded to said upper portion of said clamp to form a reinforcedextension thereof.
 13. The reinforcement kit of claim 12, wherein theremaining portion of the pallet rack truncated upright leg has spacedbores therealong and is generally coextensive with said leg support cap,said clamp partially encasing said remaining portion and havingcorresponding bores through said opposing walls for receiving legsupport bolts to thereby form a reinforced extension of said truncatedupright post.
 14. The reinforcement kit of claim 1, wherein saidtruncated upright leg with said reinforcement kit secured thereto isequal in length to the remaining upright legs of the pallet rack.
 15. Incombination with a pallet rack having a truncated lower upright leg, anintegral reinforcement kit for protecting a pallet rack framecomprising: an upright, vertically oriented clamp having an upperportion and a lower portion: a rectangular anchor base having a frontportion a front end and a rear portion; said clamp being supported byand extending vertically from said anchor base front portion; and a legsupport upright supported upon said front portion of said anchor baseand extending upward within clamp lower portion; said integralreinforcement kit being made of a substantially heavier gauge of metalthan said pallet rack frame; whereby said leg support upright supports atruncated lower upright leg of a pallet rack; and whereby said upperportion of said clamp engages said pallet rack so as to clamp saidreinforcement kit to said truncated lower pallet rack upright leg. 16.The combination of claim 15, wherein said leg support of saidreinforcement kit has a leg support cap located at the upper endthereof.
 17. The combination of claim 16, wherein said clamp of saidreinforcement kit is “U”-shaped in cross section having a front wall andopposing side walls.
 18. The combination of claim 17, wherein said frontwall of said clamp of said reinforcement kit faces forward relative tosaid kit and extends upward from a point near said front end of saidanchor base, said opposing side walls extending rearwardly therefrom.19. The combination of claim 18, wherein said leg support upright ofsaid reinforcement kit extends rearwardly beyond said lower clampportion.
 20. The combination of claim 19, wherein said leg support ofsaid reinforcement kit is generally square in cross section.